The 2,167-meter Old Caoling Tunnel linked up Fulong and Shicheng in the past. It was built during the Japanese Occupation as part of a railway project to ease traffic difficulties between Yilan and the greater Taipei area. Because the land is rigged, it was especially tough to build this tunnel. In February, 1924, it was finally inaugurated. Years later in 1986, a New Caoling Tunnel was constructed because the single-track old tunnel was too small to use. The Old Caoling Tunnel had been abandoned for nearly two decades.
The Northeast Coast and Yilan National Scenic Area Headquarters spent years of effort to turn the Old Caoling Tunnel into a tourist biking trail featuring the local history and culture. The bricks blocking the entrance were removed and the tunnel was reopened on August 10, 2009. Today, visitors are free to feel its rustic charm on a bike. A round bicycle tour through the tunnel is 15 to 20 minutes. On foot, it takes more than half an hour.
This is the first railway tunnel-turned-biking path in northern Taiwan. Because this old tunnel is just beside the new one, whenever a train passes through the New Caoling Tunnel, the humming sounds of the train can be heard inside its old counterpart. A lot of train fans have come to visit the old tunnel just to experience this. The tunnel also serves as an open-air railway museum. Not only the biking path looks like a railway track, the tunnel lights with oil lampshades are also of a retro-style. Riding through the Old Caoling Tunnel is like riding on an early-day railway. The ride is fun and nostalgic!
To visit the trail, take a train to Fulong. There are plenty of bicycle rentals to help you take a green trip. Other than the Old Caoling Trail, there is a trail that links up Longmen, Yanliao and the Fulong Coasts. Ride the winds and enjoy a laid-back afternoon in this seaside vacation town.
If you wish to explore the Old Caoling Tunnel on foot, please come here on weekdays. As traffic is busy inside the tunnel on weekends and holidays, no walking is allowed. Please kindly notice that and this is to ensure your safety.